Hope in different languages

Even the most competent of Italian speakers will occasionally slip up, and the majority of native speakers will be forgiving as long as you’re making the effort. But here are ten mistakes that are sure to grate on the ears of your Italian friends - read, memorize, and avoid at all costs. Expresso Photo: Colin Gordon You probably thought you were doing well, ordering the simplest and most Italian of coffees rather than the cream- and syrup-filled concoctions you usually get at Starbucks. But asking for an 'expresso' in your local cafe will set the barista's teeth on edge, and confirm to everyone in earshot that you're far from fluent in Italian. Foreign pronunciations Italian pronunciation is fairly straightforward, excepting a few tricky consonant combinations (we're looking at you, 'gl' and 'gn') which most learners will still be able to grasp after a big of practice. But you should be on your guard in order to stop non-Italian pronunciations slipping in. For … [Read more...] about Ten language mistakes you should avoid if you want to fit in in Italy

A PRIMARY school is using this year's nativity play to fundraise for English language books for foreign pupils - by asking parents to buy tickets.Those wanting to see their children in the Christmas performance will need to pay £1.This money will be used to pay for bilingual books for the 136 foreign children who go to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Warndon, Worcs.Just over 43.5 per cent of the 318 pupils, aged between 4-11, speak English as a second language.These children come from a range of counties and speak Polish, Greek, Filipino, Punjabi, Malayalam, Bengali and Lithuanian.The school hopes to be buy Key Stage 1 books in the languages of the pupils who are struggling to learn English.Parents will be given the books and encouraged to read them with their children.Headteacher Louise Bury said: "From my understanding it's not something that's uncommon but it's the first time we've done it."We are becoming a bigger school and there are cost implications on … [Read more...] about Worcestershire primary school where pupils speak seven different languages charge parents to watch nativity play to fund English lessons for foreign kids

JESY Nelson famously became an internet sensation when she attempted to do a Jamaican accent.But that hasn’t put off her off trying again – this time on Alan Carr’s 12 Stars of Christmas.And she even takes it a step further by reading the news in Dutch, much to the amusement of the audience.The show features three stars competing to win hundreds of presents for the studio audience.To get their hands on these last-minute goodies, the audience need the celebrity panellists to answer questions about the year posted by the stars hidden behind Alan’s giant advent calendar.One (or four…) of the stars behind the advent calendar Little Mix who have decided to take on an almighty language learning feat – to read the news in a variety of languages.Appearing behind the calendar, Leigh-Anne tells the audience: “We have had a great year performing and travelling the world.”Jade continues: “So this year we set each other a … [Read more...] about Little Mix show off their language skills as they read the news in Italian, Spanish and Norwegian for Alan Carr Show

The welcome that Sam Rainsy received on Friday surprised even the veteran opposition leader, who described it as "incredible". An estimated 100,000 supporters of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) - the only credible challenger to the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) - took to the streets to cheer his journey from the airport to a park in the center of the capital where he addressed a 20,000-strong crowd. The welcome surely stunned the CPP too, which after three decades of near total political control and the consequent benefits of power and patronage is accustomed to having things its own way. The CPP's tight grip on media - all television stations, most radio stations and the key Khmer-language newspapers are aligned with the ruling party - meant Sam Rainsy's return after a four-year absence went unnoticed by many Cambodians ("a scandal," one diplomat called it) even as it made headlines around the world. The following day the opposition leader took to the road with CNRP … [Read more...] about Opposition harbors limited hope in Cambodia poll

It’s been almost a year since Sary first arrived in Germany. The 24-year-old Syrian fled his home in Damascus in 2015, crossing the so-called Balkan route and registering for asylum in a small town in Germany. Struggling cities and senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank Brookings Institution. “If there is a language barrier, which you might have as a refugee or a migrant, you may want to seek out people that speak your own language because it could even help you get a job,” she told DW adding that cities were also likely to have greater access to services such as language courses and re-training opportunities. While on a national level, it is the government that decides how to deal with the issue of migration, it is the cities and municipalities that have to provide increased services on the ground, Noring points out in a brief she co-authored for the Brookings Institution. It is those places that “shoulder the burden of addressing economic and … [Read more...] about Refugees looking for hope in Germany’s cities

Friday’s discussions could decide the fate of sweeping immigration law reforms proposed by the government. The plans, which failed to garner opposition support earlier this year, are intended to regulate immigration. They propose measures to integrate foreigners into German society, including compulsory language and citizenship courses. The government coalition of Social Democrats and Greens views immigration as a crucial tool to counter Germany’s aging and declining population, which is expected to pose serious problems for the country’s social welfare systems and labor market in the coming decades. While generally supportive of a new immigration law, leaders of the conservative opposition Christian Democrat Union reject large portions of the proposal. They say Germany’s labor market cannot handle more immigrants at the same time the country is struggling to deal with high unemployment rates. Although heated debates surround the current proposals, most … [Read more...] about Germans Consider U.S. Experience in Immigration Debate

DW: In 2008, when Turkey was the guest of honor at the Frankfurt Book Fair, you were the star of the delegation. Now you are once again one of the highly honored visitors. Do you feel a difference in the atmosphere? Elif Shafak: Yes, I do. I do feel a difference in the sense that back then in 2008 there was relatively more optimism about Turkey's democracy, even though there were major problems, too. I think we have been sliding backwards, first gradually, and then very fast. Today we are very demoralized as Turkish writers, poets, journalists, intellectuals. The mood has changed very much - and it got worse. There has been a huge difference in German-Turkish relations. One of the main points of conflict is that the German parliament decided to call the Armenian genocide by name. The Turkish government, however, protested strongly. Was the German parliament right? I have shown my approach to this very important subject through my writing over the years. I have given interviews, I … [Read more...] about Author Elif Shafak: ‘What happens in Turkey has repercussions beyond’

- The two-day Group of 20 summit of the world's major economic powers is taking place in the northern German port city. - An estimated 100,000 protesters are taking part in demonstrations against the G20, some of which have turned violent. - German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is hosting the summit, opened the meeting by reminding delegates that they are responsible for millions of people around the world and that all parties must compromise in order to find solutions to global problems. - US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have met for the first time face-to-face on the sidelines of the summit. Trump said he had high hopes for the talks. For more on what's expected today, read Trump and Putin take center stage as Hamburg's G20 begins For more on last night's protest, see G20 in Hamburg: Police and protesters clash All updates in Central European Summer Time (CEST) 20:20 Hamburg police say that they have fired a "warning … [Read more...] about ++ G20 underway in Hamburg amid violent protests – live updates ++

A growing population and rising incomes have caused a spike in the demand for food in Cambodia in recent years. In response, farmers in the country have increased the use of pesticides - some of them illegal - to boost agricultural production. But this rampant use of toxic chemicals, experts warn, is likely to cause many negative long-term health effects, including immune system disruption, an impaired nervous system and the development of certain types of cancer, among other things. The hazardous substances are used not just by farmers, but also by retailers who want to ensure the fruits and vegetables retain their fresh look for a longer period, as desired by Cambodians. "Banned substances such as sodium hydrosulfite and borax, known in Khmer as msao sor and tek ansar, are used to maintain the fresh look and color of popular food items like chopped palm fruits, gingers and lemongrasses," Sieng Huy, execute director of the Cambodian Chemical Society (CCS), told DW. This is, however, … [Read more...] about Toxic chemicals in food raise health concerns in Cambodia

Carles Puigdemont will not appear in the Spanish Senate on Thursday as the country's lawmakers prepare to implement Article 155, a spokesperson said on Wednesday. Some expected the Catalan president to respond to what Gabriel Rufian of the pro-independence Republican Left of Catalonia party called "an institutional coup d'etat" carried out by Spain's major political parties to deny Catalan independence. Similar accusations have also come from Madrid with Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis saying "a coup d'etat is what Mr. Puigdemont and his government have done." Such language, said Sebastian Balfour, is being used for ideological purposes in a country that has a historical benchmark for a coup d'etat: the 1981 attempted military takeover of the then-three-year-old democracy. Even if the present crisis is as critical as the attempted government takeover 36 years ago, the contexts are very different, according to the emeritus professor of … [Read more...] about Is Catalan independence a second coup in democratic Spain?